Website Redesign SEO Checklist: Keep Your Rankings with 301 Redirects

Short answer: To keep your rankings through a redesign, first list every URL that gets traffic or links. Then map each one to its closest new page and set up permanent 301 redirects on the server. Keep your best content, titles and internal links, and launch with an updated sitemap. Afterwards, monitor Search Console for errors. Google says to keep redirects for as long as possible, generally at least a year.

Most "the redesign killed our traffic" stories come down to the same thing: old URLs that now return 404 errors, or pages that were removed because they looked dull but were ranking. This checklist follows Google's own guidance on site moves with URL changes.

What should you do before the redesign starts?

• Export every URL: from your sitemap, a site crawl and Search Console's page indexing report.
• Export performance data from Search Console and analytics: which pages get clicks, impressions and conversions, and for which queries.
• Note pages with backlinks. These carry authority you don't want to lose.
• Save a copy of the old site, including titles, meta descriptions, headings and body copy for your top pages.
• Benchmark speed on key templates with PageSpeed Insights.
• Decide keep, merge or remove for each URL. Pages that rank or convert should stay, or merge into a stronger page. Don't delete them.

How do you map 301 redirects?

Build a spreadsheet with one row per old URL:

Rules for the map:

• One-to-one wherever possible. Each old URL goes to the most relevant new page, not the homepage.
• No chains. Old URL to final URL in one hop, never A to B to C.
• Cover the variants: http and https, www and non-www, trailing slashes, and old parameters if they were indexed.
• Update internal links to point at the new URLs directly, not through redirects.

Which redirect type should you use?

Google's redirects documentation splits redirects into permanent and temporary:

Use server-side 301s for a redesign whenever your host allows it. If you're also changing domain, Google's Change of Address tool applies, and only for domain changes. Google notes that combining a domain move with a redesign can cause some traffic loss, so change one thing at a time if you can.

What should you protect in the new design?

• Content on ranking pages. Keep the substance, and improve it rather than cutting it.
• Titles and headings. Keep the target query in the title and H1 of pages that rank for it.
• Internal links. Key pages should be easy to reach from the menu and from related pages.
• Canonical tags pointing at the new preferred URLs (Google on duplicate URLs).
• Structured data, such as organisation, local business, FAQ or product, carried over or improved.
• Mobile speed and usability, tested on staging before launch.
• No accidental noindex. Staging sites often block search engines, so remove that at launch.

What should you check on launch day?

• Every row in the redirect map returns a 301 to the right page. Test them in bulk, not by hand.
• robots.txt allows crawling and there are no stray noindex tags.
• The new XML sitemap lists only final, indexable URLs and is submitted in Search Console.
• Analytics and conversion tracking are firing on the new site.
• Forms, booking widgets, checkout and phone links work.
• Optionally, notify search engines that support IndexNow about changed URLs.

What should you monitor after launch?

• Daily for the first two weeks: Search Console page indexing and crawl errors, 404 reports, and a quick check of top pages.
• Weekly for three months: clicks and impressions for your top queries compared with the pre-launch benchmark. Some movement is normal while Google reprocesses the site.
• Fix fast: every new 404 that had traffic or links gets a redirect.
• Keep the redirects. Google's site-move guide says to keep them for as long as possible, generally at least 1 year. For a domain change, keep the old domain registered too.

Should you redesign and change platforms at the same time?

You can, but it adds risk because URLs, templates and features all change at once. If you're choosing a new platform, read our WordPress vs Shopify vs Webflow vs custom code comparison first, and make sure the new platform lets you set server-side 301 redirects in bulk.

What else do people ask about redesign SEO?

Will a website redesign hurt my SEO?

It can, mostly when old URLs break or ranking content is removed. Mapping every old URL to a new page with 301 redirects, and keeping strong content, protects most of your rankings. Some short-term movement is normal.

How long should I keep 301 redirects after a redesign?

Google advises keeping redirects for as long as possible, generally at least one year. In practice, many sites keep them permanently because they cost little to maintain.

Should I redirect all old pages to the homepage?

No. Redirect each old URL to the most relevant new page. Pages with no useful replacement should return a 404 or 410, not a homepage redirect.

What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?

A 301 is permanent: Google treats the new URL as the one to show in results. A 302 is temporary, so Google may keep showing the old URL. Use 301s for a redesign.

Do I need Google's Change of Address tool for a redesign?

Only if you're moving to a new domain. For a redesign on the same domain, 301 redirects, an updated sitemap and Search Console monitoring are enough.

How does Tech Phase handle redesigns?

Every Tech Phase redesign includes a page-by-page 301 redirect map, designs before code, a staging link before launch and Search Console set up at launch. We build on WordPress, Shopify, Webflow or custom code, and quote fixed-price packages in USD.

• See our web design service.
• Automate lead follow-up from the new site with AI automation.
• Agencies can hand us redesigns under their own brand through our white-label service.

Plan a redesign that keeps your rankings → Send us your current site, and we'll reply within one business day.

You can also email info@techphase.net. We reply within one business day.